Research may have pinpointed a biomarker for epilepsy after stroke, a condition with unpredictable onset and few treatment options. Funded by nonprofit Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE), the Italian-based research team has discovered a protein in animal model tied to development of seizures following brain injury.

Lead by Annamaria Vezzani, researchers at Milan’s Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research have identified the biomarker HMGB1, which was found to spike among studied animals before development of epilepsy. Research was conducted in a rat model and may point to possible inception of epilepsy after injury to the brain. HMGB1 is commonly associated with neuroinflammation in the brain after injury and may mean such inflammation can be treated with medication to hold off seizures or decrease their severity.

“With this research, Vezzani and her team have provided hope that a treatment for preventing acquired epilepsy before it occurs is on the horizon,” said Kate Carr, CEO, CURE.